Georgia want motorists to stop, take a road survey

ATLANTA | Georgia is asking motorists for their opinions on how to fund highways in the state.

The Department of Transportation is asking them to participate in a short survey on the agency’s website. Questions include miles driven and an estimate of annual gasoline taxes paid personally.

Transportation Commissioner Keith Golden said many people believe they pay much more in taxes than they probably do. For instance, a person who averages the typical 12,000 miles per year at 23 miles per gallon pays $85 in taxes to state transportation yearly, about one-third of the combined state, local and federal tax on gasoline.

“For $85 to the state, people want the roads to be perfect, no congestion, all the traffic signals to be synchronized and the grass mowed,” Golden said.

Members of a legislative committee appointed to study ways to boost transportation funding recognize that taxes aren’t popular.

“We’ve got people that think they pay thousands of dollars,” said committee member Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming.

The DOT survey will give the committee additional input besides its eight public meetings. That’s because the survey has open-ended questions about how participants would like to see their taxes allocated and ways they would prefer to pay for roads and highways.

However, the public feedback may not be that helpful considering a national poll released Tuesday by the Associated Press and GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications of 1,044 people showed there was no majority for any of the funding options listed.

The next meetings of the legislative committee studying the issue are in Columbus on Aug. 25, Tifton on Sept. 2, Macon on Sept. 3, Augusta on Sept. 30, Savannah on Oct. 1. The committee will visit Rome and Blue Ridge later in October.